School Counseling
Curriculum
Students at Ridgefield High School benefit from the services of school counselors in classrooms settings, small groups and individual meetings. Known as "Counseling Seminars," these classes focus on a range of topics specifically targeted to grade-level experiences and developmental needs. Each grade level will sit for a minimum of five sessions through a designated quarter.
9th grade
Welcome to high school! During this first year, the basic approach from school counseling is one of "transition."
Highlighting the executive skills like organization, time management, studying, note-taking, etc.
Graduation requirements, reading a transcript
Digital citizenship and getting involved in extracurriculars
Self-advocacy
Navigating through high school
10th grade
The very term sophomore offers us insight into the reality that 10th graders are no longer "new" to high school but they still have two more years to go until graduation. It is an interesting time in the lives of high school students as they explore their sense of belonging, connections to others and being curious about becoming an adult.
Using Naviance to research careers, colleges and other post-secondary goals
Building a resume
Social media etiquette
11th grade
One of the most pervasive myths about high school is the junior year is the most important year because it could lead to underperformance in the first and second years. In seminars, students will
explore the Naviance program and its research capacities
identify the major components of a college application using the Common App; college vocabulary
learn about scholarships, the essay and potential interviews
12th grade
This is where we finalize plans for what students will be doing once they graduate from RHS.
Using RHS forms to process college applications
FERPA and Financial Aid
External and internal deadlines
Managing stress and expectations
Scholarship applications
